Bittersweet
by ShadowKissedDreamer
Summary: Reinette Gould isn't any normal girl. She's a princess, and weird things happen in the royal world everyday. When her father arranges a marriage between her and an unknown prince, Reinette runs away, from England, and makes it all the way to the States. There, she meets new faces and experiences some new things.
1. Prologue

_**Another story that I may/may not update due to Summer Camp tomorrow. Just to fill my time. This story is ALSO on the MCL website, under the title [CAS/NAT][OTHER]Bittersweet[CS]. I'll put the link on my MCL profile. So..here you are.**_

_**BEFORE YOU READ**_I feel I should do a quick intro on my characters, because I don't think I can mention all of this in the story.

_The Gold Bloodline_

**Queen****_: _**_Avalon Gould, Forty-Five Y.O, Married to King Alexandr._

**King:**_Alexandr Gould, Forty-Eight Y.O, Married to Queen Avalon._

**Princesses:**_Reinette Xenia Gould and Alexa Oak Gould (Twin). Seventeen and Twenty-One Y.O, Alexa is engaged to Prince Armin._

**Prince:**_Alexy Grey Gould (Twin), Twenty-One Y.O, Engaged to Princess Amber._

_**Bittersweet**__  
Chapter 0-__Prologue_

"REINETTE XENIA GOULD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" A man who was turning redder by the second yelled. Across from him, a girl of about seventeen was dressed in a mud stained tank top and paint splattered jeans, along with ratty old Converse sneakers.

This, was Princess Reinette Gould, of the kingdom of Avadonia, named after she and her sibling's mother, Avalon, or Ava, Gould. Her father, Alexandr Gould was currently yelling at her because there was a banquet tonight, and she wasn't _"fully prepared"_. She sighed, running a hand through her straight onyx hair, which reached her mid-back. Her father glared at her with unblinking eyes, and she glared right back, her ultramarine orbs, blatantly smirking. Alexandr groaned, pointing a finger towards to door. _Aaand that's my cue to go!_ Reinette thought, turning on her heel and stepping out of the Throne Room. In passing, she saw her older brother, Alexy. She held her hand up for a high five and he grinned, slapping it down.

"You know, Reina, you have to stop dressing like that to irk dad. He'll get really annoyed and marry you off to some king. You just wait and see." Alexy said with a grin. Reina let out an unladylike snort before chuckling.

"Yeah, when you-know-what freezes over." She replied as he entered the throne room. The girl made her way to her room, needing a bit of time before getting ready. Thankfully, her main Lady-In-Waiting, Iris, had managed to get her hands on an MP3 player for her. She'd have to thank her later. As she put the earbuds into her ears, she closed her eyes as she envisioned the lyrics of the song playing.

_This love is not what you want. This heart will never be yours. This love is be and end all. This love will be your downfall._

**__-_-My Candy Love-_-__**

Hours passed, and Reinette had fallen asleep on her bed, upside down. A loud bang on her door woke her up. She quickly tried to sit up, and ended up falling off of the bed. Her older sister, and Alexy's twin, Alexa, stepped in, not bothering to hide her laughter. After a few moments, she calmed.

"Er, mum says start getting ready. I've requested Iris, and Amber will be here to help me as well, so you're on your own, Xenia." Alexa said, waving and stepping out of the room. Reina nodded to herself before standing up and walking to her closet. Pulling open the door, she looked over the electronic keypad that selected her clothes for her.

"Hmm.." She said aloud, tapping the screen. "Ballgowns, preferably black, blue or red. I suppose it can do the rest." She finished, talking to herself. She sat back on the bed and let the machine do it's magic. I a few minutes, the machine had picked a red cocktail dress with black mini poodles on it. Alongside that, one red and one black suede leather pump, with her black tiara and her black infinity bracelet. Reinette smiled and clapped to herself, getting dressed quickly. As soon as she finished, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" She called, trying to close up the zipper on the back of her dress. Alexy stepped in.

"D'you need help?"

"No thank you." A groan and a sigh. "Fine. I can't seem to- aargh."

A soft chuckle. "It's simple. You ask for help, even when you don't want to, Little Queen." Alexy said.

Reinette smiled. That's basically what her name meant, and he only knew it because he got to name her, and save her from being another 'A' in the Gould line. _Reine_ in French meant 'Queen' and adding _'ette'_ basically meant mini, or little. Alexy held his hand out and she happily took it, laying her head on his shoulder, his sky blue, shoulder length hair tickling her cheek. They made it to the ballroom, and entered directly after her mother and father, with Alexa and Alexy's fiancee, Amber, right behind them. After hugging her brother, Reinette parted from him and began to wander.

_**_-_-My Candy Love-_-_**_

Nearing the end of the feast, Alexandr stood and hushed the crowd. Reinette, who was staring out of a window in the corner, felt hands on her back. She turned abruptly to find her mother smiling down at her, her mantis coloured orbs shining with light. Her light blond hair fell around her face in soft curls, the way her father liked it. Avalon Gould led her youngest daughter up to the five thrones in the centre of the room. Her father turned to her with something in his eyes. Panic. Fear. Why?

"Now," He started. "I remember, last year, I tried to marry my daughter off to about four men every month. Rich men, handsome men, and charming men. But no, the last one is always the trickiest." He said, stroking Reinette's hair. "She denied each and every one of them. One was rich, but too stuck up. One was nice, but wasn't very good in the looks department. No matter what, she found every flaw in every one of those men. But now, I guarantee she won't be able the find a flaw in a visitor to our kingdom. He is handsome, wealthy and very charming." Her father said. Reinette's eyes widened as she flinched away from her father, stumbling down the steps leading up to the thrones.

"Are you saying what-" She was cut off.

"Yes, my dear. We have courted you off with a prince who is to come this coming week. You have that long to pack your belongings and prepare, my little princess."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! I'M NOT YOURS ANYMORE, AM I!? You don't even know what my name means, so don't try." Reinette muttered darkly, throwing her tiara on the ground and grinding her heel in it. Her father reached out to her, and she turned on her heel, running to the door. No one bothered to stop her anyway. Someone grabbed her arm and she jerked it away, turning to see who it was. Alexy looked at her with hurt in his eyes. Or, at least that's what she could see through the tears forming. She wiped them away quickly as a heavy sob wracked her body. She turned away and left, her onyx hair streaming behind her.

"REINETTE XENIA GOULD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Were the final words she heard.

_Alexy was right._

**_So, yeah. I think that was a pretty good back-story on what was going on here. Yeah. I'm going to end up making a family portrait somehow. But for now, enjoy the set I made to represent Reinette's outfit. It's on my profile. Now, here's a little sumtin-sumtin for Don't Be Selfish fans: a CHAPTER FOUR PREVIEW!_**

**_Don't Be Selfish-Chapter Four-I Am Me_**

"Let's just get this whole greeting thing over with, eh?" Paul said. Adrian nodded, and she walked up to him from out of the school doors. They shook hands, and then she punched him in the face. He growled, which was pretty creepy, and used his hand to pull her down the steps.

"Give me my daughter back!" He yelled at her. The girl shook her head furiously, supporting herself on the side of the school building.

"If you want me so bad, shoot Addy down, shoot mom, _ANNA_, down, and shoot down everyone that cares about me! Then, when you have me, I'll be so sad, I _will_ kill myself, at age fourteen! So, in the end, you'll have us all. At a mass funeral. D'you want that!?" Aleksandra race down the steps, pulling at her elder sister's hand, and tugging her away from the abusive man. "I never liked you! I only dealt with you to make mom happy!" She screamed, crossing her arms and stomping, like she was still eight years old.

Their father's expression broke into pieces as he saw his daughters standing side by side in defiance to him. A thought passed through his mind, as he remembered what their family was like right before the divorce.

_(Flashback.)_

_Halloween, two years ago. Adrian and her mother had decided to switch lives for their costumes. Anna had put on a white wig, and bought contacts, donning a pair of ripped jeans and a graphic tee. Adrian had a brown wig with highlights in it, wearing a pair of high-waisted pants and a white blouse. She had also found a pair of heels._

_"Now, girls, come pose!" Paul had called, as the pair crossed their arms and stood next to each other, glaring at the camera with real, pent up, anger. They had kept of the facade of a happy family for the press, but things were finally falling apart. Aleksandra stood next to her father in disdain, wondering when they would leave. They had a charity event to go to, and it was always Alex's favorite part of Halloween._

_(End.)_

Adrian snapped her fingers as her father came back from his flashback. A slight smirk tugged on his lips, as he crossed his arms, looking up at his daughters. "Fine. I don't have you know. But wait until I see you in court with a kidnapping and an assault and battery case." He said.

Alex laughed, covering her mouth, but not enough. Her laughter rang loudly in front of the school, bouncing around in the silence of it all. "I can testify that she is my sister, and that I wasn't kidnapped. I went willingly. And are you really talking about assault and battery, Mr. Mafia Man?" She asked, grinning. "You schooled me enough in the branch of Law. I know what sexual assault is." She then whispered, turning around and walking inside slowly.

Adrian watched her, then made her way over to her father. She stabbed a finger in his chest, a growl coming from out of her mouth. Grabbing the scruff of his shirt, she opened the door to the car he came in, and threw him in it. She punched the roof of the vehicle, glaring at him through the window. "Come near anyone I care about, and I mean _anyone_, you'll be in a world of trouble, _compinche_. Now leave!" She threatened, as his driver drove away speedily. She nodded to herself, following her sister's lead, and reentering the school.


	2. Chapter One

_**Hullo all, and welcome back to Bittersweet! Good to know that my first review was positive! So, I dedicate this chapter to you, dear.**_

**Reinette's Point of View**

This couldn't be happening. Was this actually happening? He was courting me with some man I had never met? If he was all three things my dad had said, he was either really young or really old. I made it to my room, struggling to open the door, as I was weak from running. I pushed the heavy door open and promptly collapsed as soon as I set foot. One of the chambermaids gasped, dropping the bucket of water she had in her hand.

"Someone! Call the medic! Our youngest has fallen!" She called.

**__-_-My Candy Love-_-__**

I awoke to see my parents and my siblings' faces looking down on me worriedly. Before I could even say anything, Alexy stood up with a yell. My mother clapped and almost began crying with joy. Even Alexa looked relieved, which was shocking, to say in the least. Only my father's face stayed hard as he glared at me then walked away. I sat up, watching him sit in a chair not far from the bed.

"Father..?" I asked, not wanting to anger him by calling him dad.

"YOU EMBARRASSED ME! Do you how degrading that is?" He asked me. I sighed, running a hand through my tousled hair. I knew he'd be on my case about this, but I was hoping later than sooner.

"_Well_, sorry I wasn't there to stroke your ego, and gushing about how ecstatic it would be to be handed off to some guy I don't know." I said sarcastically, a twitch in my eye. I could feel it. Anger flashed in his eyes, and he shot up, grabbing me by the hair. I whimpered, and he stared at me.

"ALEXANDR! UNHAND HER!" My mom yelled. He turned his head slowly to her, and she cowered away. He looked back at me and I tried to see what the others were going, but he jerked my view back to him. A wry grin hit his lips as he chuckled.

"I lied. The king will be here tonight. I just wanted him to appear as a visitor, but you've left me no choice. You will be married by the end of the week, whether you have any say in it or not." He growled, throwing me back on the bed. I cried out, holding my leg. I guess when I fell, I bruised something, because there was a large purplish-bluish mark from my inner right thigh to my knee. He then stormed out, and I resisted the urge to cry. Unlike the average princess, I didn't cry when 'daddy told me to do something I didn't want to'. Alexa reached out to me and I put a hand up.

"Don't. I don't need any one of you pity parties, and especially not one from _you_." I whispered, looking blankly ahead. After a few minutes, Armin, my sister's fiancé and Amber, by brother's fiancée, came rushing in. They looked very worried, and I'd actually wondered how long I was out.

"A few hours." Alexy said, as if reading my mind. I looked over at him to see Amber grilling him about my condition. Across the room, Armin and Alexa were doing the same dance. I sighed and quickly got up, managing to make it past the door that led into the medical ward. My mother had run off somewhere, probably after my father. I made it to my room without anyone seeing me, and quickly changed my clothes. I put on a red v-neck top and some black jeans with my black converse sneakers I had worn only hours before. A knock on my door sounded, and I froze. I wasn't here.

"Reina. I know you're in there." Iris said. When it was just us, I had allowed her to call me Reina, but around others, we were formal. I opened the door and hurried her in. In her hand, she had an envelope with a small, hand-drawn violet. I grinned as she handed it to me. Since I was in Europe, and all alone, I decided to get a pen-pal. Her name was Violette and she lived in the States.

_Dear Reina,_

_It's very nice to hear from you again. This letter may be a little late because I had to finish an art assignment based on a quote. I will enclose the quote and the drawing at the end of the letter, because you say you liked seeing my art. Nowadays, I'm mostly sitting at home or at school. Word is, there will be a new transfer at school tomorrow. I'll probably end up sketching what they look like and then sending you the photo._

_So, how have you been,_

_**Little Queen**? (I always get a kick out of calling you that.) And no, I haven't told anyone else about your little secret. You should come down here sometimes, though. A girl gets lonely sometimes._

_With best withes,_  
_Violette._

_P.S, here's the artwork I was talking about._

I looking in the envelope to find a scan of a digitally animated photo. It was beautiful.

The quote was very inspiring, as well.

_"I will not sit.  
I will not lie.  
I will take my stand, and show the world my vision of a better tomorrow."_

Looking back on the letter, it hit me. 'You should come down here sometimes.' That was it. I gathered my things together, forcing Iris to help as well. When we finished, she looked at me questioningly. I sighed, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"I'm leaving, and I may not come back for a while. I'll miss you." I said, giving her a tight hug, which she returned. When we parted, I grabbed my phone and it's charger. I grabbed some paper, and scrawled something on it, and ripped it into three pieces. I handed them to her.

"One goes to Queen Avalon. One goes to Prince Alexy. The other belongs to you."

She looked down at the papers in her hands. "It's a number. Then it says 'Tell no one but The Island of Apples, The Defender of Mankind, and Rainbow'. What?" She asked.

"I looked up you're names once. The Island of Apples is my mom, The Defender of Mankind is Alexy, and Rainbow is you." I said, smiling sadly. She furrowed her brows and I chuckled. "Iris was the Greek goddess of Rainbows. It was fitting." I said, before leaving the room and making my way out of the castle.

Then I ran, I ran and I ran, all the while clutching the letter and the photo in my hands.

_**Wewt! That was epic, need I say more? At least, I think it was epic. The picture belongs to yuumei on DeviantART, and so does the quote. I'll put the piece on my page, under Reinette's dress set. If you liked that piece, go ahead and browse if you want. She'd appreciate it.**_


End file.
